How to remove a mugshot from Google

What Google can and cannot do

A mugshot can appear in Google because another site published it. Google can remove certain search results under its policies, but the source page can still exist and be found through other channels.

That is why the cleanup sequence matters: document the page, request removal or opt-out at the source, then ask Google to refresh results if the page changes or disappears.

The cleanup sequence

1. Save the URL, screenshot, page title, and date for every mugshot or arrest-result page.
2. Identify whether the page is a mugshot site, people-search site, news article, court page, or CRA report.
3. Use the site's own removal or opt-out process where available.
4. If the case was dismissed, sealed, expunged, restricted, or vacated, attach official proof when the site allows evidence.
5. After the source page is removed or changed, use Google's removal or refresh tools for outdated search results.
6. Check background-check reports separately because CRA databases may need FCRA disputes.

When Google removal is more likely

• The source page has already been removed or materially changed.
• The page exposes sensitive personal information covered by Google's removal policies.
• The result is outdated and points to content that no longer exists.
• The mugshot result is tied to a record that has been officially cleared, and the source site honors court-order evidence.

Where Clean My Past fits

Clean My Past is strongest when the mugshot problem is connected to a record-clearing or background-check cleanup workflow: eligibility screening, court-order organization, data-broker opt-out tracking, and FCRA dispute preparation.